CH.71 The Forest Covered by Snake(5)
In the <Judgment of Fire> Clan, the hunting team consisted of 5 squads. Lee Soo-mi, who was in charge of the B-grade Holders of the Sacred lineage, watched the party’s battle with keen interest. One person, in particular, caught her attention, undoubtedly.
The intern clan member who had joined the party for the first time today – it was Do Jae-hyun.
‘Hmm, this intern is truly an interesting person.’
The more she looked at Do Jae-hyun, the more intriguing he became. He had joined the clan on the recommendation of Kang Juyeon, the clan’s successor, with an unprecedented internship period of two months. Naturally, the clan members of <Judgment of Fire>, who took pride in being the best clan in the country, couldn’t help but pay attention to such news.
Moreover, he had suddenly been thrust into the raid to conquer the ‘Forest Covered by Snake’ which had been announced well in advance. Among the hunting teams, it was Do Jae-hyun who had been hearing the super parachute sound within Squad 5.
‘I’m sure that’s how it was…’
But could he prove himself as a Rune Holder with his innate abilities? After coming to the raid, it was clear.
He possessed an incredible talent that surpassed his peers. He effortlessly wielded three types of weapons: dual swords, a one-handed sword and shield, and a dagger. In addition, he made use of magic attacks. He handled fire-type magic attacks as if they were his second nature and had impressive physical combat skills to match.
His defensive capabilities were also not to be underestimated, making him a reliable tank on the frontlines.
‘I have a feeling he’s constantly growing.’
From the entrance of the Inwangsan Field to the middle of the Forest Covered by Snake, they encountered new monsters and faced numerous challenges throughout the raid. However, each time, Do Jae-hyun showed gradual growth, strengthening the party.
Especially when they encountered the Electrophorus for the fourth time…
He practically handled two of them on his own, so to speak. If someone didn’t know better, they would think, ‘Is he actually a B-grade Holder from Squad 5?’
‘It seems like he has an interesting relationship with Juyeon.’
Do Jae-hyun was Kang Juyeon’s parachute. That wasn’t an inaccurate statement. Ever since Do Jae-hyun joined as an intern, it was easy for anyone to see that Kang Juyeon frequently took care of him.
This sight itself was fascinating to Lee Soo-mi. Kang Juyeon taking care of someone? For a member of <Judgment of Fire>, it was something that no one would easily imagine.
‘Hmm, they’re young.’
Fire support directed at Do Jae-hyun during hunting, fleeting glances exchanged while walking, and especially after battles, the warm glances directed at him under the pretense of healing – even though Lee Soo-mi knew all this about him, she bullied him more only to tease Kang Juyeon.
For Lee Soo-mi, who was already in her sixth year of membership in the clan, Kang Juyeon was still the cute clan girl.
Papa papa-
Kwoong!
Once again, a giant snake-like monster fell.
Monsters like Mega Snake, a B-grade monster, appeared around the middle of the dungeon. Nearby, the Green Anaconda, also B-grade monsters, had been taken down. At a glance, there were about eight of them combined. It was a sign that they were encountering more and more monsters as they neared the end of the dungeon.
“Hmm-“
With keen interest, Lee Soo-mi approached the monsters to collect magic stones. In this raid, there was no dedicated butchering Holder, so collecting the spoils from the monsters was challenging. However, they could still obtain magic stones from the monsters, even if handling the materials was difficult.
“Huh?”
While trying to extract magic stones, Lee Soo-mi noticed something unusual from the corpse of Mega Snake, a B-grade monster. It was the monster Do Jae-hyun had hunted, the one with which he had successfully soloed as his deal-tanking balance had grown beyond a certain level.
“This is…”
The head of Mega Snake, where the magic stone was embedded, had undergone rapid aging, tainted by a strange aura.
‘It seems like some sort of curse or enchantment.’
A mischievous smile played on Lee Soo-mi’s lips. While others might not easily notice these symptoms, as a Sacred lineage Holder, she was much more sensitive and responsive to curses or enchantments.
It was clear that the Mega Snake had been affected by a curse-based skill called ‘Weakening’. And the one who hunted it was, coincidentally, the intern.
Lee Soo-mi’s gaze turned back to Do Jae-hyun. He was cheerfully digging for magic stones.
‘This intern… He’s truly an interesting person.’
Multi-Holders with various talents in the Holder profession were not uncommon, but it was rare for someone to skillfully wield all those talents and rise to the ranks of high-level Holders. When discussing successful Multi-Holders, it wasn’t just <Royal>’s Seong Na-yeon who was mentioned.
As one advanced higher, the growth curve of a Multi-Holder became steeper.
However, right now, a person who aims to rewrite the history of such Multi-Holders has appeared once again. They can wield at least three different martial arts techniques, use fire-type magic attacks, and even seem to utilize runes like those in the shamanic lineage. They are a promising talent with a keen sense, knowing how to use various runes judiciously. This is not just something Lee Soo-mi feels; other party members are likely sensing it too, even if they keep their thoughts to themselves.
‘Juyeon seemed to want to have this interesting person all to herself.’
It wasn’t just a youth romance, as it seemed to be at first. Lee Soo-mi smiled deeply, continuing to gather magic stones.
Lately, her daily life had been monotonous and boring. However, with the arrival of such an intriguing person, clan life seemed to have become more interesting.
***
ippotranslations
***
[‘Underwater Sprint’ rune selected. Since it is a level 9 Rare Rune, it will be registered as level 5.]
[You have obtained a new rune.]
[Due to the rune’s nature, you gain 3 water resistance and 1 speed.]
[Your skill in handling various weapons becomes more spectacular. Proficiency in swords and shields increases rapidly.]
[‘Master of Martial Arts’ rune level has increased.]
[Due to the rune’s nature, you gain 2 strength.]
‘The Forest Covered by Snake’ is truly a dungeon that lays golden eggs. Because the average rank of the monsters B, which is so high, we’re acquiring so much loot.
Steadily, the main rune’s level increased, and new runes were obtained through [Rune Hunter].
‘My Lightning resistance is up to 8 now.’
Sometimes, the Electrophorus that appeared in the river provided supplements to increase Lightning resistance. He steadily raised his Lightning resistance by enduring their electric attacks and finally obtained the [Underwater Sprint] rune he had been aiming for.
Beyond the entrance of the dungeon and into the middle part, they didn’t encounter any more Electrophorus.
‘Instead, real snake monsters appeared.’
B-grade monsters, Mega Snake, and Green Anaconda, were of a tremendous size for snakes, engaging in fierce battles on land.
Unfortunately, there were no runes to be obtained from them. Both monsters were strong, based on their high-level abilities, and the combat runes they utilized were the same ones Do Jae-hyun already possessed, such as [Sturdy Fangs] and [Agile Agility].
He didn’t have any major complaints since he had obtained three runes from the Electrophorus.
‘Of course, not everything.’
Past the entrance of the dungeon and into the middle part, they defeated all the monsters and made their way to the boss room as planned. And there, at the edge.
They encountered an A-grade monster, the ‘Basilisk’.
Among snake-type monsters, it was classified as one of the most challenging, so they could obtain runes by hunting it.
[Rune Information]
◎Name: Gaze of Stiffness
◎Grade: Rare
◎Level: 5
◎Engraved Location: Eyes
◎Special Effects:
: When making eye contact during battle, there is a very low chance of immobilizing the opponent in a state of stiffness. As the rune level increases, the probability gradually rises, and it increases even more when the opponent’s mental state is low.
: Magic +5
◎Derived Skills:
–
◎Detailed Information:
: A powerful eye that instills fear in others. Ordinary individuals often cower in fear in the presence of these eyes.
[Gaze of Stiffness.]
A rare rune imbued with special abilities in the eyes. It was a rune of a relatively low rank compared to the S-grade rune [Petrification’s Curse], known to be associated with the legendary monster ‘Gorgon Medusa’. However, for my current situation, it was one of the essential runes.
First, the special effects.
Other than the [Declaration of Domination] of [Oppression] abilities, I didn’t have any other status-altering skills. This rune’s special effect was like a godsend to me. The ‘Stiffness’ status was akin to paralysis, where the entire body became paralyzed and unable to move, almost on par with ‘Fear’.
Though it was a very low probability, it was a chance that could fluctuate depending on various factors such as stats, rune level, and other conditions.
‘And the additional magic effect…!’
It was the most necessary attribute for me right now.
Magic.
This stat had been raised by an astonishing 5 points. Thanks to this boost, my magic had steadily increased to reach a whopping 30. It was one of the conditions for unlocking the ultimate skill. ‘There really is no rune as beneficial as this one’. [Gaze of Stiffness], which brought only what was needed, had turned out to be quite a valuable rune. Participating in the Basilisk hunt and contributing to the fight had been rewarding.
<Holder Information>
◎Name: Do Jae-hyun
◎Gender: Male (20)
◎Stats:
◎ [Strength: 40]
◎ [Magic: 30]
◎ [Speed: 43]
◎ [Recovery: 15]
◎ [Toughness: 32]
◎ [Willpower: 27]
◎Resistances:
: [Poison: 8]
: [Water: 10]
: [Fire: 8]
: [Lightning: 8]
◎Possessed Runes: –
: Epic
◎ [Rune Hunter Lv.Max]
◎ [Effort of the Seeker Lv.Max]
◎ [Oppression Lv.2]
◎ [Ruthless Charge Lv.2]
◎ [Swirling Tidal Waves Lv.4]
◎ [Master of Martial Arts Lv.5]
: Rare
◎ [Lizard Scales Lv.7]
◎ [Underwater Breathing Lv.3]
◎ [Venom Lv.5]
◎ [Wave Sword Technique Lv.9]
◎ [Water Sword Technique Lv.9]
◎ [Strengthen Lv.2]
◎ [Agile Agility Lv.6]
◎ [Sturdy Fang Lv.3]
◎ [Fiery Flame Lv.7]
◎ [Strong Stamina Lv.4]
◎ [Simple Curse Lv.2]
◎ [Combat Healing Lv.5]
◎ [Underwater Sprint Lv.5]
◎ [Sharp Claws Lv.6]
◎ [Penetrating Brain Strike Lv.4]
◎ [Gaze of Stiffness Lv.5]
: Normal
◎ [Cooking Lv.5]
◎ [Sprint Lv.5]
◎ [Magic Control Lv.6]
◎ [Quadruped Combat Lv.2]
◎ [Stealth Lv.7]
◎Possessed Skills: –
◎ [Master of Martial Arts]: (War Declaration of a Hundred Soldiers)
◎ [Poison Claw]: (Venom)
◎ [Hardening]: (Lizard Scales)
◎ [Stamina Food]: (Cooking)
◎ [Declaration of Domination]: (Oppression)
◎ [New Wave]: (Swirling Tidal Wave)
◎ [Emergency Treatment]: (Combat Healing)
◎ [Hide Attack]: (Stealth)
◎Ultimate Skills: –
◎ [Sky-Shattering Heavenly Sword]: (Wave Sword Technique/Restriction)
◎ [Water Sword Dance] (Water Sword Technique/Restriction)
‘…This is quite impressive.’
It had been a long time since I had opened the Holder information screen. The attributes, as well as the abundance of high-level runes and various skills, adorned the information screen gloriously.
I had come a long way since my arrival here six months ago. It was a testament to how far I had come, not just in acquiring and leveling up various runes but also in steadily increasing my attributes across the board.
[Effort of the Seeker] and actively utilizing the ‘Rune Acquisition Reward Stat’ ability had yielded these results. Especially my core attributes, strength, and speed, had already exceeded 40.
Now, I have a smooth growth rate to run towards becoming a B-grade Holder.
“Stop.”
While checking the Holder information and the newly acquired runes, Kwon Oh-jun raised his hand. His posture and movements suggested that he had discovered something.
Party members who were positioned at the back all approached him, gazing at the spot he was facing.
Right in front of them, the ground had sunken, creating a pit that revealed a cave hidden beneath the rocks. Countless snakes that were not visible as monsters were crawling around it. It was a sight that unmistakably indicated a special space.
And everyone who had come here, having hunted countless dungeon monsters, understood the significance of this space. It was the far-reaching end of the dungeon exploration—the boss room.
